Tube handler



H- P. KEIRN TUBE HANDLER Oct. 26, 1965 Filed Jan. 50, 1963 United StatesPatent ()fiice 3,214,2lfl Patented Get. 26, 1965 3,214,214) TUBE HANDLERHarry ll. Keirn, 133 W. Queen, Hampton, Va. Filed Jan. 30, 1963, Ser.No. 254,940 2 (Claims. C1. 294-16) This invention relates generally to atube handler and more specifically to a tool for removing or insertingelectronic tubes such as are used in radio, television, and variouscomputing machines.

There have been endeavors in the past to provide implements tofacilitate the removal and insertion of electronic tubes. Heretofore,these devices have been rather complicated in structure and somewhatlimited in use in that the tools require considerable space in order tobe manipulated properly. Further, the cost of production of such toolshas caused them to be expensive to buy and many men in the trade can notafford the luxury of owning one.

A further disadvantage of some of the known devices is that great caremust be exercised in the amount of force exerted on the tool to avoidbreaking the tube. Also, some tools can be utilized in the handling of,say a glass tube, but they will not grip sufi'lciently the metal casingtype tubes.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a tube handlerwhich overcomes the above disadvantages.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tube handler whichmay be manipulated in small places.

It is still a further advantage of this invention to provide a tubehandler which has means for insulating the tube from the tool surfacewhich is to be grasped by the user.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a tube handlerwhich may be utilized for all kinds of electronic tubes and for bothremoval and insertion of the tubes.

These and other objects of the invention may be accomplished by oneembodiment in which the tool comprises a substantially U-shaped bodyhaving diverging extending legs. The body is formed of a resilientmaterial so that the legs may be moved toward each other by the user,but when released, they will spring outwardly away from each other. Theinner face of each leg is concave in cross-section so as to conform withthe generally cylindrical form of a tube. Means are provided on each legto provide for a better gripping action of the leg with the tube surfaceand also to act as a heat insulator. At the free end of each leg thereis provided a laterally inwardly extending flange which is intended tobe inserted beneath the bottom of the tub to assist in the removal ofthe tube.

This embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of the tube handler;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section in positionadjacent a tube drawn in broken lines; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 of FIG. 2.

The tube handler comprises a substantially U-shaped member havingdepending legs 12 and 14. The tube handler 19, in the preferredembodiment, is formed of suitable light weight metal by stamping orother suitable methods. The metal or other material used in forming thetube handler 10 should be of sufficient rigidity so that when formedinto the configuration of the preferred embodiment, each of the legs 12and 14 may be pressed toward each other and when released will have atendency to spring outwardly away from each other without anydeformation of the desired shape of the tube handler. Each of the legs12 and 14 are substantially concave in cross-section, which serves atwo-fold purpose. The

concave cross-sectional shape of the leg increases the rigidity of theleg and also conforms approximately to the cylindrical shape of the tubewhich is to be handled.

An elongated strip 16 of rubber, asbestos, or other suitable materialhaving good insulation qualities and high frictional qualities issecured by means of suitable adhesive to the inner concave surface ofthe legs 12 and 14, adjacent the lower portion thereof and extending tothe end thereof. The strips 16 provide a surface which will frictionallygrip the article to be handled and, in the event the tube is hot, thestrips will provide an insulating layer between the hot tube and themetal legs 12 and 14 which are engaged by the user of the tool.

At the free end of each of the legs 12 and 14 there is provided aninwardly extending flange 18 and 20 respectively. The flanges 18 and 20extend a short distance inwardly from the inner surface of the legs 12and 14 and assist in maintaining the pad 16 on the legs. The flanges 18and 20 may be wedged beneath the bottom of the tube to provide a bettergrip on the tube when it is to be removed from the socket, if necessary.

The over-all length of the tube handler 10 is intended not to exceedsubstantially the length of the longest tube likely to be encountered.The small size of the tube handler facilitates use of the device inareas which are difii cult to reach. The tube handler 10 is shown inFIG. 2 in position over a tube with the flanges 18 and 20 insertedbeneath the tube ready to remove the tube from its socket. It is to benoted that the strips 16 are disposed between the surface of the tubeand the legs 12 and 14 so that the user will not burn his fingers whenhe removes a hot tube.

The tube handler 10 is also very useful in inserting tubes. The pads 16will grip the surface of the tube and will hold the tube firmly withinthe tube handler while the flanges 18 and 2t) aid in positioning thetube in the tube handler 10. The tube may be placed on One leg with itsbottom abutting the flanges on one of the legs. The user may then exertpressure on both legs, thereby bringing the other leg into engagementwith the tube.

The tube handler 10 is very useful in many places which are inaccessibleto presently known devices. The present day car radios are usuallyplaced up beneath the dash board and are very difficult to reach toreplace tubes. It is sometimes impossible for a service man to reach thetube with his fingers to remove it for replacement. The tube holder 10,being very slender and not much larger than the tube itself, may be slidinto the radio cabinet to place the tube into a socket, or in likefashion to remove a tube thereform.

Also, with the great demand for reduction in size of television sets andwith the advent of printed circuits enabling such a drastic reduction insize, it is often necessary to disassemble completely the chassis of theset to be worked on because of the inaccessibility to the tubes. Thisdevice provides means to obviate the necessity of all of this labor andeasily remove and replace tubes.

The simplicity of construction of this invention lends itself to bemanufactured economically.

While the invention has been set forth in a certain embodiment above, itis recognized that certain variations and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the invention as set forth in the claims below.

I claim:

1. A tube handler for gripping electronic tubes, said handlercomprising:

an upper portion having opposite sides;

a pair of opposed, elongated resilient legs, an upper end of each legbeing fixedly connected to one of said opposite sides of said upperportion;

each of said legs having arcuate inner and outer surfaces and a centrallongitudinal axis which is straight s) throughout its length, said legsbeing resiliently urged away from each other;

an elongated strip of insulation material having arcuate inner and outersurfaces fixedly positioned on said arcuate inner surface of each ofsaid legs;

said elongated strips extending from a lower end of each of said legsthroughout a majority of the length thereof;

a horizontally extending, inwardly projecting flange fixed to saidarcuate inner surface of each of said legs at said lower end thereof,said flanges having an arcuate inner surface adapted to be wedged underthe base of a tube when the tube is in its socket.

2. A tube handler for gripping electronic tubes, said handler includinga flattened upper portion;

a pair of opposed, elongated resilient legs the upper ends of which arefixedly connected in a perpendicular relationship with opposite ends ofsaid flattened upper portion;

each of said legs having arcuate inner and outer surfaces and a centrallongitudinal axis which is straight throughout its length, said legsbeing resiliently urged away from each other;

an elongated strip of heat insulation material having arcuate inner andouter surfaces fixedly positioned on said arcuate inner surface of eachof said legs;

said elongated strips extending from adjacent a lower end of each ofsaid legs throughout a majority of the length thereof;

a horizontally extending, inwardly projecting flange fixed to saidarcuate inner surface of each of said legs at said lower end thereof,said flanges having an arcuate inner surface adapted to be wedged underthe base of a tube when the tube is in its socket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 209,989 11/78Shinn 29493 X 1,859,614 5/32 Boever 29433 X 2,124,039 7/38 Mitchell294l6 X 2,380,136 7/45 Whitney 29499 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, PrimaryExaminer.

ERNEST A. FALLER, Examiner.

1. A TUBE HANDLER FOR GRIPPING ELECTRONIC TUBES, SAID HANDLERCOMPRISING: AN UPPER PORTION HAVING OPPOSITE SIDES; A PAIR OF OPPOSED,ELONGATED RESILIENT LEGS, AN UPPER END OF EACH LEG BEING FIXEDLYCONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID UPPER PORTION; EACH OFSAID LEGS HAVING ARCUATE INNER AND OUTER SURFACES AND A CENTRALLONGITUDINAL AXIS WHICH IS STRAIGHT THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, SAID LEGSBEING RESILIENTLY URGED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; AN ELONGATED STRIP OFINSULATION MATERIAL HAVING ARCUATE INNER AND OUTER SURFACES FIXEDLYPOSITIONED ON SAID ARCUATE INNER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID LEGS; SAIDELONGATED STRIPS EXTENDING FROM A LOWER END OF EACH OF SAID LEGSTHROUGHOUT A MAJORITY OF THE LENGTH THEREOF; A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING,INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE FIXED TO SAID ARCUATE INNER SURFACE OF EACHOF SAID LEGS AT SAID LOWER END THEREOF, SAID FLANGES HAVING AN ARCUATEINNER SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE WEDGED UNDER THE BASE OF A TUBE WHEN THETUBE IS IN ITS SOCKET.